The data collected by the Bulgarian statistic institutes about the application of the Cultural strategy in Plovdiv show a great progress of the city in the field of culture. According to the analysis the number of people visiting cultural events has increased twice. The sphere of scenic and visual arts is leading in the country and has the potential to develop even more dynamically. The cultural events and festivals attract not only Bulgarian, but foreign tourists as well, which turns out to be a main factor for increasing the incomes in the sector of tourism.
Meanwhile, another 12 festivals have been added to the Cultural calendar this year, as well as a wide variety of events presented for the first time this year. The Municipality of Plovdiv supports over 100 events from its cultural calendar. Thanks to the strategy for culture, the events have increased twice in number, the audience has increased. Another significant achievement is the development of the Old Town and Kapana and managing the cultural heritage of the city. All these achievements have determined the proclamation of Plovdiv European capital of culture 2019. With its program for 10 years, Plovdiv seems to have cleared the path for the preparation of the richest cultural program in EU.
The state cultural institutes in Plovdiv in the field of scenic arts are leading. The audience of the theatres in Plovdiv is one of the biggest in the country, as well as the incomes from their cultural products. For the first half of this year the Drama Theatre, the State Puppet Theatre and the State Opera have attracted 110 266 visitors and received incomes of 1 120 384 BGN. The Ancient Theatre, the Summer Theatre “Orfey” and the open-air stages in the city center, Kapana, the Old Town and the City Garden gather together over 120, 000 people during the festivals Opera Open, the International Folklore Festival, PolineROOOCK fest, One Design Week, One Architecture Week, One Dance Week, Plovdiv Jazz Fest „Sound of the ages“, Music Days in the Balabanov House and many others.
The new incomes from culture turn it into the main factor for developing the potential of the citizens, as well as a means for changing of the whole atmosphere in the city. In this aspect, the Municipality leads a proactive policy, connected not only with increasing the incomes, but also with creating a field for the development of various initiatives and implying new technologies and practices. This year it become clear that one third of the visitors of Plovdiv are here for cultural purposes, which much over the mean level for the country.